Adjustable book-rest.



N0. 660,!48. Patented 00L 23, |900. C. W. DAVIS H.^M. HALL.

lulllllmlnumi I IIIIHHHIIIIII UNITED STATES!l PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES W. DAVIS AND HUGH M. HALL, OF COLUMBIA, MISSOURI.

ADJUSTABLE BooK-REST.

SPECIFICATION forming' part of Letters Patent N o. 660,148. dated October 23, 1900. Application led February 6, 1900. serial No. 4,271. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom t may con/cern,.-

Be it known that we, CHARLES W. DAVIS and HUGH M. HALL, citizens of the United States, residing at Columbia, in the county of Boone and State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful Adjustable Book-Resi, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to book-rests, and more particularly to that class designed for supporting heavy volumes in position for writing, the object of the invention being to provide a structure in which the volume Imay be tilted to lie at various angles and in which it may be rotatably moved to facilitate inspection and also to provide means for holding the rest, with the book, at different points of its various adjustments. l

In the drawings forming a portion of this specification, and in which similar numerals of reference designate like and corresponding parts in the several views, Figure 1 is a side elevation showing the complete structure, with the book-receiving portion lying at an angle. Fig. 2 is a vertical central section of the complete device, with the book-receiving portion lying horizontal. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective View showing the hinge connection between the spindle and the lug of the table. j

Referring now to the drawings, the present invention comprises,preferably,adisk-shaped base 5, having supporting-casters 6 suitably attached to its under face and centrally of which disk is a hub 6a, which extends above and below the disk-shaped base.

v The hub 6a is provided with a vertical bearing 7, extending entirely therethrough, and in this bearing is disposed the narrowed lower end 8 of a spindle 9, the upper end of which is halved, as shown at 10, to receive a similarly-halved lug 11, disposed centrally of the under side of the book-supporting table 12.

These halved portions are mutually connected through the medium of a screw 13, having a liange 14 to limit the movement of the screw inwardly. The table 12 has a transverse groove 15 formed midway of its ends to receive the central portion of the back of a book, and at the rear edge of the table are secured clips 16,each consisting of a U -shaped plate disposed to lie with the inner face of one of its sides against the under face of the table and to lie with its opposite side above the upper face of the table,whereby the clips, which are of spring metal, may receive the lower edges of the back of the book, so as to hold the back flat against the rest, so that'the pages will lie dat to facilitate writing thereon.

The table 12 is adapted for rotatable adjustment, due to the pivotal bearing of the narrowed portion 8 of the spindle 9 in the bearing 7 of the hub 6a, and in order to hold the tablek at different points of this rotatable adjust-ment a set-screw 17 is engaged with the hub 62N below the disk 5 and is adapted to be moved into and out of engagement with the narrowed portion 7 of the spindle. The table 12 is also` adapted for adjustment upon the screw 13 to lie at various angles, and to hold the table at its dierent points of adjustment a slot 2O is formed transversely of the upper portion of the spindle 9, and in this slot is disposed an arc-shaped rack 21, one end of which is pivoted to a hanger 22, attached to the under side of the table, while the opposite end of the rack has a cord 23 attached thereto at one end, the opposite end of the cord being attached to the screw 13, which is provided with an operating-handle 24. Normally the rack 21 lies in engagement with a knife-edge upon the plate 25, secured across the lower portion of the slot 20, and thus holds the table against pivotal movement. When it is desired to move the table, the screw 13 may be rotated slightly through the medium of a handle 24, when the cord 23 will be wound upon the screw and the rack 21 will be moved from engagement with the plate 25. When the proper adjustment of the table has been secured, the rack may be lowered into engagement with the plate.

In order to brace the laterally-extending portions of the table or rest 12, brace-plates IOO of the drawings, the innermost arms of the y plates are attached to the table adjacent to the lug l1, while the outermost arms,` which are longer, are attached to the table adjacent its outer edges.

It will thus be seen that With the present device the book may be held at any desired angle and that the stand may be moved from place to place, as may be convenient, and that the table may be rotated to hold the book in the proper position.

It will of course be understood that in practice the parts'of the structuremay be made of any suitable materials and that any proportions may be employed and also that modiications may be made Without departing from the spirit of the invention.

As illustrated in the draWings, the lower end of the lug 1l is rounded and is halved to engage the-halved upper end ofthe spindle,

as shown at l0. The upper end of the'spin-4 dle has a greater diameter `than the-lug andA receives the lug in au'ecess in its face, this recess resulting in the formation of a stop which extends transversely of the lug to liein thepath ofrnovement thereofin oneA direction. This stop is so positioned that when the `book-rest is brought to a horizontal posi tion the lug will engage the stop, and if the ratchetthen he engaged with the knife-edge the rest Will be held from movement in either direction.

lVhat is claimed isl. A book-rest comprising a hase, a spindle upon the base, a book-support pivoted to the spindle, plates comprising armsattached to thesupport at diiferent points thereof and lying with their body portions in sliding contact with the spindle to brace, the book-support at diiferent points of its pivotal movement, and means forholding the book-support at different points'of its pivotal movement.

2. A booki-rest comprising a base, a spindle j ournaled in the hase, a book-support, a pivotscrew connecting the spindle and support and adapted for rotation a knife-edge.. carried by the spindle, arack carried by the support and adapted'for engagement with the knife-edge to hold the support at different points of its pivotal movement, and a cordconnected with #che rack and Withfthepivot-screw for raising 'the rack from the knife-edge; 3. A book-rest comprising a base, a spindle lupon the base, a booklsupp'ortpivoted to the spindle,V and plates comprising arms attached lto the support at different points thereof and lying with their body portions in slidable contact 'With the spindleto brace the booksupport at'dierent points ofits pivotal adj ustment.

In testimony that We claim the foregoing as ourown We have-hereto aiiixedonr si gnatnres n thepresence of two witnesses.

i CHARLES W. DAVIS'.

HUGH M1 HALL. Witnesses:

W. E. HoAGY, W. F. HoDGE. 

